Attachment for electric fans and the like.



W. NELSON & J. W. RUGGABER. ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIC mas AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 23, 1912. I

Patented June 10, 1913.

WILLIAM NELSON AND JOHN'W. RUGGABER, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOBS TO RACINE ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WIS- CONSIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June to, 1913.

Application filed April.23, 1912. Serial No. 692,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM NELSON and JOHN W. RUGGABER, citizens of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin,

have invented certain new and useful Im-.

provemen-ts in Attachments for Electric Fans and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in and relating to attachments for electric fans and the like; and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanation of the accompanying drawings illustrating what above the fan blades to distribute the air blast produced by said blades, uniformly and about horizontally over the table on whichthe fan is located.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in and relating to guards for electric or other fans.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment for air circulating fans, usually of the portable rotary electric type, embodying a guard for the fan blades and a peculiarly formed disk-like deflector designed to form a tray and to radially and uniformly distribute the air blast generated by the fan blades.

The invention consists in certain novel features in construction and in combinations and arrangements as more fully and particularly set forth and specified hereinafter. i

Referring to the accompanying drawings:-Figure 1, is a perspective view of a portable electric fan provided with an attachment embodying our invention. Fig. 2, shows, the fan in elevation, and the attachment in vertical section. Fig. 3, is a detail view of one of the arms or brackets that support the fan guard and have open sockets detachably receiving the bottom supporting ring of said guard, said ring being shown in section. v

In the drawings, we showaportable electric fan having a vertical manure or motor shaft at its upper end carrying a horizontally rotating fan. The fan is provided with any suitable pedestal or base 1, on the upper end of which the motor casing 52, is suitably mounted and secured so as to be supported thereby and virtually constitute an upward continuation thereof. The vertical shaft 3, of the motor projects vertically above the upper end of the casing 2, and a suitable rotary fan is carried and rotated by said shaft. This fan comprises a suitable hub 4,

fixed to the projecting upper end of the .vertical shaft 3. and provided with radiating horizontal fanblades 40, of any suitable or desirable construction, and so set or arranged as to produce a strong vertical upwardly directed air blast. when in action.

\Ve arrange an air deflector in and traversing the path of the air blast produced by the fan to diffuse and distribute said bl'asit radially and laterally with respect to the axis of rotation of the fan. In the specific example illustrated, this deflector is formed by a fixed horizontally-disposed disk 6, arranged and supported irnmediately over the fan and of a greater diameter than that of the fan proper. This disk is centrally depressed so that its under face is conical and flares upwardly and outwardly from its apex or central point (30. directly over the axis of rotation of the fan to its outer circumference or upper edge 61, spaced a distance outwardly from and above the circle in which the outer ends of the fan blades move. Various means can be provided for supporting this disk, although in the specific example illustrated, we show the disk fixed to a wire supporting frame affording means for securing the structure to and mounting the same on the motor casing, and in connection with the disk, constituting a fan guard.

The particular form of disk-supporting and fan-guard frame disclosed consists of the horizontal ring 7, arranged below the horizontal plane in which the fan revolves and of'greater diameter than the fan and having vertical open frames, loops or rings 70, fixed thereto or formed therewith and rising therefrom and at their upper edges structure fixed to the under face of the outer edge portion of the disk. These uprights 70, are uniformly spaced apart and distributed around the frame ring 7, and are formed to afford minimum obstruction to the 'outwardly and radially distributed air blast.

Any suitable means can be. provided for securing and supporting the air-distributing and fan-gl'iarding structure arranged above and around the fan, although in the example illustrated, we show several horizontally disposed supporting arms or brackets 8, at their inner ends suitably secured by studs and nuts 80, to and on the upper end of the motor casing and at their outer ends bent up and back to form hooks 81, removably embracing the frame rim 7, and to maintain the fan-guard an air-distributin properly centered above an about the fan. The horizontal plane of the convexed disk is parallel with the lane in which the fan rotates and said dis is designed to cause equal lateral or approxi- 'mately horizontal distribution of the air blast radially in all directions from the axis of rotation of the fan. For instance, if'the fan is placed on a table, the disk is designed to cause equal lateral or radial distribution of the air blast in all directions to all ersons arranged about the table. Furt ermore, the conca-ved top of the disk can be utilized as a tray or receptacle for various purposes.

It is evident that various changes, variations and modifications might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention and hence we do not wis to limit ourselves to the exact disclosure hereof.

What we claim is 1. A table fan comprising a -support, a rotary fan arranged above and carried by said support and arranged to generate an upwardly-directed air blast, a center-piece tray arranged horizontally above said fan and having an upwardly and outwardly fiaring under surface to distribute said air blast approximately radially, approximately horizontal arms at their inner ends secured to said support and at their free ends doubled up and back-to form hooks, a'horizontally disposed ring, and tray-supporting uprights at their upper port-ions fixed thereto and at their lower portions fixed to said ring, said ring resting on said arms and removably fitting in said hooks, whereby said tray,-uprights and ring constitute afan guard removable bodily from and supported by said arms. 7

2. A table fan comprising a support, a rotary fan arranged thereabove to generate an upwardly-directed air blast, a centrallydepressed disk arranged approximately horizontally and centrally above said fan and unobstructed at its depressed top to form a center-piece supporting tray or the like, said disk flaring upwardly and outwardly at its under surface to distribute said air blast approximately radially, arms'be 1 above said fan and having an upwardly and outwardly flaring under surface to distribute said air blast approximately radially, a supporting ring engaging the outer ends of said arms and supported thereby, and fanguard uprights connecting said tray and the ring and supporting the tray therefrom.

4. A fan comprising a casing having supporting means, a rotary air-blast-generating element carried thereby and arranged exteriorly of the casing; arms arranged be- I hind said element and at their inner ends secured to said casing, the outer free ends of said arms being bent fiorwardly and forming permanently open sockets at the front sides of said arms; and a guard for said element consisting of secured means arranged in front of and circumferentially about said element and a stiff ring carrying said means and of greater diameter than said element; said ring fitting in said sockets and removable forwardly therefrom and being detachably clasped thereby against the front sides of said arms, said means and ring forming a unitary structure su(pported by and radially removable from an applicable to said arms.

5. A fan comprising a. support-,a. fan :ar ried by said support and rotating on a vertical. axis, approximately-horizontal arms arranged below said fan and at their inner ends secured to said support, the free ends of said arms being bent to form open sockets at the upper sides of said arms, and a guard for said element consisting of a guard-supporting ring-of greater diameter than said fan and fitting said sockets and removable upwardly therefrom and thereby held detachably clasped against the upper sides of said arms, a diskhaving an upwardly and outwardly flaring under surface above said fan, and disk-supporting uprights fixed to said disk and to said ring.

6; A table fan comprising a support, a rotary fan arranged thereabove to generate an upwardly directed air blast, a centrallydepressed disk arranged approximately centrally above said fan and unobstructed at its 5 proximately radially, a ring of greater depressed top to form a center-piece supcured to said support and detachably re 10 portin tray or the like, said. disk flaring ceiving said ring and upholding the same. upwar ly and outwardly at its under sur-- In testimony whereof we afiix our signaface to freely distribute'said air blast aptures in presence of two witnesses.

. WILLIAM NELSON.

diameter than said fan, series of spaced fair JOHN W. RUG-GABER. guard upright fixed to and rising from Witnesses: said ring and at their upper portions fixed JOHN H. LIEGLER,

to the under side of said (115k, and means se- CLARENCE L. TOLFSON. 

